Readily disassembled valve



July 20, 1965 R, T. coRNELlUs 3,195,566

READILY DIsAssEMBLED VALVE Filed March 8, 1962 United States Patent O 3,195,566 REABELY DISASSEMBLED VALVE Richard T. Qornelius, Minneapolis, Minn., assigner to The Cornelius Company, Anoka, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Mar. S, 1962, Ser. No. 178,3l4 7 Claims. (Cl. IS7-454.2)

This invention relates generally to liquid dispensing devices, and more specifically to an improved faucet incorporating a novel actuator mechanism and body structure.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in various dispensing devices or faucets, a particularly useful application is made in faucets of the type that are employed to dispense carbonated beverages such as beer and soft drinks. In particular, when such faucets are employed, it becomes necessary to disassemble the same periodically for cleaning purposes. Further, faucets of this type frequently employ a lever or pushtype actuator to draw liquid.

The present invention contemplates the utilization of a structure by which the device may be readily disassembled for cleaning without dismounting the same from the cabinet or other support. Such disassembly is accomplished in this invention by the release or removal of a single securing means, whereby the device breaks down into a number of major components which are individually readily cleanable, one of which components comprises a novel actuating mechanism.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved liquid dispensing faucet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a faucet which may be readily disassambled in a facile manner.

Yet another object of the presentl invention is to provide a liquid dispensing faucet having a novel actuator of the Push-type.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIGURE l is a side elevational View of a liquid dispensing faucet constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional View of the liquid dispensing faucet of FIGURE l, the same being partially in elevation;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of FIGURE 2 with certain parts omitted for clarity of illustration; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional View taken along line lV-lV of FIGURE 2.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a liquid dispensing device or faucet such as illustrated in FIGURE l, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The dispensing device lil includes a yhousing generally indicated at l1, a valve assembly generally indicated at l2, and a valve element actuator assembly generally indicated at 13.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, the housing lll comprises a cylindrical portion 14 having a stepped cylindrical passage 15 therein, including cylindrical recesses ESQ and 15b. The housing l1 is provided with a rearwardly directed face or shoulder 16 which is abuttable against a mounting panel 1'7 forming a part of a cabinet or the like, a mounting nut 18 carried by a set of external threads I9 thereby acting to hold the housing 11 in a securely 3,l%,5d6 Patented July 20, 1965 mounted and oriented manner. Within the recess 15b, there is disposed a swivel block 20 having a peripheral huid-tight connection with the housing Il, as by means of an O-ring 2l. The swivel block 26 includes an embedded elbow piece of tubing 22 having a free end 22a which may be directed in any angular direction about the axis of the passage l5. The end 22a of the tubing 22 is adapted to be connected to a supply of iiuid to be dispensed by the device lil. Once the swivel block 2t) has been directed in a desired angular position or orientation, a clamping nut or means 23 carried by the threads I9 may be tightened to securely lock the same in such selected angular orientation or position. The housing l1 also includes a flange 24, and Where the flange 24 is integral with the cylindrical portion i4, the housing il preferably is a die casting. The ilange 24 extends adjacent and parallel to a portion of the valve assembly l2, the ilange 24 being offset from the axis of the passage 1S, and being disposed at the end thereof which is remote from the swivel block 20.

The valve assembly i2 includes primarily a body 2S which may also comprise a dic casting, and a movable valve element 26. The body 25 has a cylindrical portion 27 which extends into the recess 15a in the passage i5, the cylindrical portion 27 being thereby slidably telescopically received therein. The cylindrical portion 27 has a fluid-tight connection with the housing il, and to this end an O-ring 28 is provided. A cam surface 29 facilitates the re-entry and slight radial compression of the O-ring 2% during assembly or reassembly. The movable valve element 26 is reciprocably supported by the body 25, and includes a valve face 30 engageable with a valve seat 3l on the body 25. The valve element 26 includes a stem portion 32 which extends through a loose fitting gasket 33 and terminates in an enlarged outwardly projecting portion 34 held on the stem 32 by a setscrew 35. A spring 3e of the compression type acts between the outwardly projecting portion 34 and the gasket 33 to maintain the valve face 3l! normally closed or in engagement with the valve seat 31. It is evident that if the outwardly projecting portion 34 were reciprocated, the valve assembly l2 would be successively opened and closed. The valve body 25 has an upper upwardly directed outer face 37 which is disposed against the lower face of the housing flange 24, and which is recessed as at 3S and tapped as at 39. The body 2S also has a lower upwardly directed outer face 4i) which is recessed as at 431.

T he valve element actuator lassembly 13 includes primarily an actuator lever 4Z and a support member generally indicated at 43. The actuator lever 42 is adapted to be manually manipulated at one end 43a yand to be hinged at the other end 44 as by a hinge pin 4S which may comprise a part of the `support member 43, and is coactive therewith. As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the actuator lever 42 has a recess 46 so that the lower end thereof is hollow. The support member 43 is disposed nearly entirely or primarily in the recess 45, and includes a key 47 which is yslidably received in the body recess il and a flange 4&3 which is disposed remotely from the key 47 and which extends out ofthe lever recess 46 and is slidably received in the recess 38 in the upper face 37 of the body. The flange 4S thus extends adjacent to the body 25 and the iiange 24. By virtue of the key 47 which lslidably interlocks withthe body 25, and the flange 4g, the `support member 13 is rigidly secured to the body 25. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the support member 43 extends about the outwardly projecting portion 34 of the valve element 26 in radially spaced relation thereto, whereby the same denes an `aperture through which the cute-r end of the valve element 26 may project. The support member 43 includes a notch or groove 49 through which a tool may gain access to the setscrew 3S if de- 'a a sired,v The support member 43 includes a pair of Vthickened portions 50 .and 51 which provide support for the hinge Vpin 45. The hinge pin45 preferably has a press lit with at least one of the thickened portions S0, 51, and a wall 42u, 42b ofthe actuator lever 42 so that-the pin 45 is retained and so that the .actuator lever.42 remains substantially centered. Such. a fit `does not prevent pivoting of the actuator lever 42 by h-and, or return thereof to the position illustrated in FIGURE'Z by the spring 36. Within the recessj 46, the lever 42l is .provided vwith an arcuate engagement pad 52 intermediate its ends which directly engages the outwardly projecting portion 34 as shown in FIGURE 2.

Removable securing means such as a screw 53 extends through the flanges 24, 48, int-o the threaded aperture 39, of thebody V25 to hold the housing 11, the valve Yassembly 12,` and the valve element actuator assembly 13 lsecurely together as a unit. The securingmeans 53 thus preferably is removable, and once the same has been removed, the valve assembly 12 Yand valve element actuator assembly 13 may jointly be moved to the left as illustrated. in FIGURE 2 with respect to the housingV 11 to be completely disengaged therefrom, after which the valve element actuator assembly 13 may be moved'slightly upwardly and further to the left to disengage4 the same from the valve assembly 12. Once :so disengaged, Vthese assemblies 11-13 may-be readily cleaned without dismounting the housing y11.

Upon completion of Isuch cleaningthe describedra'ssemblies 11-13 may be freely Vreassembled and secured together by means of the screw 53 by reversing the sequence described. l

When the device 10 is to beput into service, the tubing end 22a is connected to a source of fluid to be dispensed. There-after, pivoting of the actuator lever 42 in a clockwise direction as illustrated. in FIGURES l-3 shifts the movable valve element 26 to theV right in an opening direction. The amount of such movement-is limited by an inwardly directed face54 'on the outwardly projecting portion 34 which engages with the'gasket 32,'.not only to limi-t inward movement of the valve face 30, butalso to form a Huid-tight connection at the gasket 33 about the stem or stem section 32. When the requisite amount of liquid hasbeen drawn, the actuatorlever 42 is returned to the illustrated position and .thespring 36 vreturns the movable valveelement 26 also tothe illustr-atedposition.

In response -to such movement, the seal Vcreated between.

the face 54 andthe gasket 33 is broken, therebyV admitting air about thev stem 32 into the Huid passagefwithin the valve assembly 12,*the`reby enabling complete draining ofVV the same. l

(a) a housing having a passage adapted to be connectedxto a supply of fluid;

(b) a valve assembly including. a body supporting a movable valve element in uid communication with said p-assage;

(c) a valve` element actuator assembly separate trom V s-aid Valve assembly and operable on said valve element for moving it; and

(d) la single means securing said housing, said valve assembly, and said actuator assembly together as a unit, upon release yof which means, e-ach of said hous-V ing, said valve assembly, 'and said actuator assemblyVV is rendered Yfreely separable from .the others. 2. A valve device comprising, in combination: r

(a) :a housing khaving a passage adapted. at lone end to be connected to a supply of fluid;

(c) a valve element actuator assembly operable on said valve elementformoving it; andv j Y Y (d) a member applying a force to saidhousing, to Isaid valvev assembly, and to said actuator assembly and securingsaid housing, said valvefassembly, and said .actuator assembly together asia unit, upon release of rwhich member, each olf-said housing,l said valve assembly, and said actuator assembly isslida'bly separable from thegothersby` me-ans of onlylinear relative movement. A

3. A valve device comprising, in combination (la) 'la vvalve assembly including a bqdy supporting aY movable valve element; I

(b), a housing having :a passage adapted to' connect saidvalve element with a supply'rof fluid, landy hav-Y ing a sheet-like flange extending adjacent-to said body;V Y

(c) a separate valve element actuator assembly operable on said valve element for moving vit, and hav- Yinga sheet-likeilange extending adjacent to said body and to said housing-flange; and -f f (d) removable rnc-ans acting in common on said anges randqsaid body and securing said Yflanges and said body together, upon removal of which commonr means, each of said valve assembly, said housing,

and said separate valve-element .actuator is` slidably` separable from the others.

' 4. A valve device comprising, in combination:` l

(a) a housing having a passage adaptedV aty one end'to.

be connected to a supply of uid, said housing having asubstantially flat-flange projecting from near the lother end of -said passage in a direction parallel toA the axis of said passage andv odset therefrom;

,1 (b) a valve assembly including aA body vslidably received in said other'end of said passage adjacent to,

said housing ilangeand including a movable valve element in fluid communication withlsaid passage;

A'(c) a valve element yactuator assembly separate 'from .'(a) a valve assembly including a body slid-ably supporting a movable valve element, and adapted to be connected to a supply of iluid;

for moving it; fr

` (b) an actuator lever operable on said valve element (c) a separate support member havinga projecting portionlixed thereto and slidably receivedin a body recess tol provide' an interlocky withsaid body, said support member supporting said actuator leverin a manner enabling pivoting'thereof about an axis having a locked relationship with said body; andV '.(d) means removably'securingsaidsupportjmember to said body remotely fromsaid interlock. 6; A valvedevice comprising, in combination: (a) a valve assembly includinga body having apair of upwardly ,directed louterface's vertically and latv erally offsetfrom each other, each of saidA faces having anupwardly opening recess, said body supporting a recipr-oc-able valve-element,land adapted to be con- Y nected toV a supply of'uid;V

(b) an actuator lever operable on said valve element -for moving it;

(c) a support member having la key slidably nonrotatably received in said recess of the lower of said rfaces, and said member having a substantially flat llange disposed against the upper of said body faces, said support member pivot-ally supporting said actuator lever; and

(d) removable `fastening means extending through said ilange into the upper of said recesses, and securing said flange to said body.

7. A valve device comprising, in combination:

(la) a valve `assembly including a body having a pair of upwardly directed outer faces vertically ,and lateral-1y ofrset from each other, each of said yfaces having an upwardly opening recess, said body supporting la reciprocable valve element;

(b) a housing having a passage adapted at one end to Abe connected to a supply of iluid, said housing having a substantially flat flange extending adjacent to a portion of said body from near the other end of said passage in a direction parallel to the axis of said passage and olset therefrom, said other end being non-rotably slidably receptive of -another portion of said valve body and forming a Huid-tight connection therewith;

`(c) an actuator lever operable on and engageable with said valve element for reciprocating it;

`(d) a support member having a key slidably nonrotatably received in said recess of `the lower of said faces, and said member having a susbstantially at flange disposed adjacent the upper of said body faces and against said housing flange, said support member pivotally supporting said actuator lever; and

(e) removable fastening means extending through both of said ilanges into the upper of said recesses and securing said flanges to said body, whereby upon release of said lfastening means, each of said housing, said valve assembly, vand said support member is yslidably separable from the others.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 892,994 7/08 Johnston 137-4542 X 2,097,063 10/37 Heller 251-155 X 2,535,835 12/50 Burgess 251-155X 2,756,775 7/56 Hyde IS7-454.2 X 2,991,795 7/61 Fraser et al. 251-245 X EVERETT W. KRBY, Primary Examiner.

LOUS J. DEMBO, Examiner. 

1. A VALVE DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A HOUSING HAVING A PASSAGE ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SUPPLY OF FLUID; (B) A VALVE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A BODY SUPPORTING A MOVABLE VALVE ELEMENT IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGE; (C) A VALVE ELEMENT ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY SEPARATE FROM SAID VALVE ASEMBLY AND OPERABLE ON SAID VALVE ELEMENT FOR MOVING IT; AND 